TNA ADM 334 83

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OREGO
OF
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at could the not basin get anybody to sign me on I was
basin with a and by about 18.00 was making signed on and back
my little petrol, water breaker and enough tank and deck
cargo of crew di two young ratings, a full my way out of the
very overcrowded. small sacks of potatoes - raw. The boat lump seemed of raw
beef, and two gang for about a week, including provisions a large to last
These and told me that we had got to tow a navy cutter hailed, to us
As we passed out of the basin the Commodore
tow nearly as much as my own little craft and had very thick new
were brand new boats, fully squipped and weighing Sheerness. pretty
that considerable misgivings and was truly grateful for the fact
ropes. I must admit that I regarded this idea with
my boat had Samson posts and not cleats.
trusting to luck for the rest. The faster boats, which
out for Ramsgate, having our own chart of the Estuary and
Orders being orders, we took the cutter in tow and dug
also of the bigger and less burdened by their cutters, got were out
sight about dusk and another motor cruiser about the
in sight. The launch was having continuous engine trouble
size as my own and an open launch were the only vessels same left
but the other motor cruiser was having a little trouble I
Before it became quite dark a drifter turned up from Sheerness
turned back and closed them so that we could keep together. so
und informed us that she had been sent out to look after the
motor boats. Her Captain decided to anchor for the night and
we tacked on to him. The occupants of the open launch went
remained on my boat and slept between the intervals of
on beard the drifter for the night but my crew and myself
up for on deck to be sick, as it was by no means a comfortable popping lie
a 24 foot boat under five tons in weight.
the drifter kindly suggesting that she should take the and,
We got under way early in the morning of the 29th
and cutters and the defective launch in tow, the other motor three cruiser
the reason for these
mine sailed independently but keeping more or less
company ahead with the drifter until off the Foreland, when in went
bright argestions
a bit as the course was clear and there was we
has never been
drifters shipping to indicate safe channels. The number of plenty busy little of
explained to me,
should about was amazing, one stopped us and
but it was very sue
weather any how.
trip, so we continued on our way until another stopped the and
go to Belgium but could not supply the petrol suggested for we
suggested we should go to Holland and offered to take us
to tow, be and provide petrol from somewhere later. As this us appeared in
when ropes and were towed some miles in the direction of Holland
an order from a superior officer we accepted their tow
after a Dostroyer had an "Aldis" conversation with the
was really had a mine-sweeper and had got to go and sweep mines,
which the latter informed us in a kindly manner that Drifter, he
so we better double back to Ramsgate on our own and
us a course. We arrived at Ramsgate and got tied up in the gave
outer harbour in time for a late lunch and I then made engiries
about the job in hand.
The course changed
sweral times, on
I found that the course to Dunkirk then in operation had
would take MO the best part of 24 hours, as I could not count
grown to be a round trip of 140-150 miles and as such a trip
account fields of mine
on doing maximum speed and should have to consider petrol in
15 men, all my boat would hold, was not good business. The
any case, 1t seemed to me that a mere dash over to rescue about
Commander whom I saw on the point, like all the Naval Officers
with whom we had any dealings, was just as helpful as was
possible and agreed with me that the best use for my boat was
to go over with two Navy rowing boats in tow to a ship so that
we could operate on the beach and fill the ship. After a few
enquiries I was told to rendez-vous outside the harbour at
09.30 on Thursday, 30th May, and accordingly had a good night's